Protests erupt in Delhi over citizenship law by social, religious and political outfits

A large number of protesters, including Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind leaders, protested at Delhi's Jantar Mantar on Friday against the amended citizenship law, which they described as "anti-constitutional" and "divisive", and demanded its immediate withdrawal.

Separately, Jamia Millia Islamia University students held a protest against the law at the university. A third protest was organised by the Delhi Congress in Seelampur area of East Delhi.

The protesters at Jantar Mantar, led by JUH general secretary Maulana Mahmood Madani, carried placards with slogans like "Save-Constitution, Withdraw CAB", "Division on basis of religion unacceptable"and "CAB nahin Rozgar Chahiye".

JUH leaders termed the law a "draconian" legislation and urged the president to stop it from coming into effect.

Madani said the law "is against the Constitution of India which denies discrimination on the basis of religion." He urged Muslim youths to maintain peace and tranquillity.

The organisation held protests across the country against the law, according to a Jamiat statement.

The protest by Jamia students turned violent after police and students, who wanted to march to Parliament House from the university, clashed with each other.

Fifty students were detained following the clash, after the protestors were stopped at the varsity gate.

In Seelampur, thousands of Congress workers, a majority of them from the minority community, protested against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, with the party asserting that it will wage an "all out fight" to protect the Constitution.

Congress Delhi unit president Subhash Chopra said the bill was a "calculated attempt" by the BJP to create "unease and communal divide".

"There have been attacks on secularism not once, but many times. But the people of India have always rejected the agenda of divisive forces like the BJP," he stated.

Chopra "condemned" the police lathicharge on students of Jamia, and demanded a probe into it.